Combined telephone and fire-alarm apparatus.



No. 669,832 Patented Mar. I2, 19m.

A. s. HIBBARD. COMBINED TELEPHONE AND FIRE ALARM APPARATUS.

(Application filed July 7, 1900.,

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

fl rzasses; W1 Wu nqz NORRIS Ptrsks o0. PHOYG-LITHO., msmymrom u. c.

No., 669,832. Patented Mar. l2, mm.

A. s. HIBBABD.

COMBINED TELEPHONE AND FIRE ALARM APPARATUS.

' (Application filed luly 7, 1900.!

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ANGUS S. HIBBARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COM BIN ED TELEPHON E AN D Fl RE-ALARIVI APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,832, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed July 7, 1900. Serial No. 22,802. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGUS S. HIBBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Combined Telephone and Fire-Alarm Apparatus,(0ase No. 9,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to combined telephone and alarm systems, and has forits object the provision of improved means whereby the alarms may by means of apparatus at the telephone-exchange be propagated to alarmstations.

My invention is designed more particularly to produce an improved combined telephone and fire-alarm system, and I will hereinafter describe myinvention more particularly as employed in connection with fire-alarm circuits, although I do not wish to be limited to this particular adaptation of the invention.

More particularly, my presentinvention is an improvement upon the system disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 22,801, filed of even date herewith.

In the system of my copendingapplication I have employed telephone-lines having selfrestoring line-signals at the exchange, and have associated with these lines suitable apparatus at the subscribers stations responsive to fire, which will serve by means of suitable connections to effect the actuation of the signals at the exchange, the apparatus being preferably such that a distinctive signal is imparted which will at once convey to the mind of the operator that the premises to which the corresponding telephone-line extends are on lire. The operator may then place the fire department in possession of information of the fire. In my copending application I have employedasuitable connecting-plug, having terminals constituting the ends of a circuit extending to the fire-alarm office, including there-at suitable alarm or indicating apparatus, this plug by being inserted within the jack of the corresponding telephone-line then bringing the said alarmcircuit into circuit with the telephone-line to form a continuation thereof, so that the signals caused by the responsive apparatus at the corresponding subscribers station are manifested or recorded at the fire-alarm oflice.

My present invention is an improvement over the device of my copendingapplication in the means employed for propagating the signals from the exchange to the fire-alarm office. I accomplish this result independently of connecting-plugs, so that the linejacks may be free of plugs while the signals are being transmitted. In accordance with my invention I provide a switching appliance that serves to associate a circuit extending to the fire-alarm office with a telephone-line. I prefer to employ a relay in the signaling-circuit at the exchange, which is also associated with the circuit extending to the fire-alarm office to repeat or reproduce the alarm indications at the latter station. I prefer to employ one relay for this purpose that may be common to a group of telephone-lines, this relay being preferably at a chief operators desk, so that the transmission of the signals from a number of groups of lines may be under the control of a single operator. This relay may be included in circuit with a pilot indicator or lamp, so that the said indicator may be operated simultaneously with the alarm devices at the fire-alarm station or a switch may be employed that will serve to throw either the relay or the pilot-indicator alternately into circuit, so that but one of these instrumentalities is operated ata single time.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a battery at the exchange included in normally open circuit with the telephone-line and a corresponding line-signaling instrument, the responsive apparatus, preferably a break-wheel, at the subscribers station serving intermittently to close the circuit through the line-indicator to cause a characteristic fire-alarm signal.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating a telephone-line extending to a relayboard at an exchange and an alarm-circuit extending from the exchange to a fire-alarm station. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of mechanism for propagating currents from the exchange to the fire-alarm station.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference in both views.

I will first fully describe the telephone system to which my present invention may be applied and will then set forth more particularly the nature of my improvements.

1 have indicated but one telephone-line extending to a subscribers station A. At this station one type of telephonic apparatus is illustrated that may be employed; but it is to be understood that other forms of telephonic apparatus may be used, if desired. I have illustrated a telephone switch-hook a, having permanent connection with one terminal of a transmitter 19, the other terminal of which is connected with one limb c of the telephoneline. A switch-hook is provided with two upper contacts, one of which is connected through a primary coil d to the remaining side 6 of the telephone-line, while the other upper contact constitutes a terminal of a branch including the telephone-receiverf and the secondary coil g, the said receiver and secondary coil being adapted for inclusion in a local circuit that also includes a condenser h when the switch-hook is elevated. The condenser It serves to prevent the passage of current from the common battery at the exchange across the limbs of the tele phone-line when the apparatus at the subscribers station is not in use. A magneto signal-bell 1; is connected in series with a condenser h across the limbs of the line. Any suitable form of apparatus responsive to fire may be employed at the subscribers station. I have illustrated thermostatic devices 7t it, which in the presence of fire are adapted, through suitable means, to release the pawl or detent Z from engagement with a notch provided in the periphery of a break-wheel m, as is well understood. The limb c of the telephone-line includes the metallic portion of the break-wheel and a brush it, that normally rests upon a metallic pin carried by the metallic portion of the break-wheel. When the break-wheel is tripped, the brush it is disconnected from its engaging pin, so that the telephone-switch is rendered incapable of closing the telephone-line, whereby manifestations of signals due to the break-wheel may not be interrupted upon the elevation of the switch hook.

I have illustrated a break-wheel provided with three teeth serving to complete the circuit through the telephone-line three times to each revolution of the wheel, the teeth as arranged serving to indicate the number 12. A brush 0 is connected with the side 6 of the telephone-line and is adapted to make contact with the teeth of the break-wheel as the latter revolves. A three-point switch p is illustrated for the purpose of testing the apparatus without effecting the operation of the signals at the exchange. When the switch 19 is in the position illustrated, the line is in normal condition and any opera tion of the fire-alarm apparatus at the substation will be accompanied by a propagation of fire-alarm signals to the exchange and firealarm station. If it should be desired to test the operativeness of the fire-alarm apparatus without causing the propagation of falsealarm signals over the line, the switch 19 may be thrown into engagement with its alternate contact, when the desired tests may be effected without creating false alarms. The limbs c and e of the telephone-line terminate, respectively, in the short and long line-springs of a line spring-jack q and the armatures of a cut-off relay 1, normally resting against contacts that serve to connect the common battery 5 across the limbs of the line. The linerelay t, constituting a line-indicator magnet, is normally included in circuit with the limbs e and c and the common batterys, circuit being closed through this relay either by the telephone switch-hook in the normal operation of the telephone system or by the break- Wheel in the operation of the fire-alarm system, whereby the relay is energized to close circuit through a line-indicator 25, preferably an incandescent electric lamp. This incandescent lamp is included in a local circuit of suitable resistance that also includes the pilot-relay u, constituting a pilot indicator magnet, so that when the line-lamp t glows the pilot-relay is energized, this relay serving to close circuit through a pilot-lamp u, that may also beincluded in a local circuit having suitable resistance. It will thus be apparent that when the break-wheel is tripped through the action of fire a corresponding signal will be manifested by the line-lamp t, that will indicate to the operator the location of the fire, and the said signal will also be manifested by the pilot-lamp to indicate to an operator that a fire is at a subscribers station of one of a group of lines. If it should happen that the pilot-lamp u is operated from two or more stations at the same time, the switchboard operator may prevent more than one signal being manifested by the pilot-lamp by inserting suitable plugs within the jacks of the remaining signaling-lines until the operator at the pilot-lamp is properly signaled. The magnet 25 and lamp t constitute one type of self-restoring line-indicating means, while the magnet to and lampu constitute one type of a self-restoring pilot-indicator. Where it it desired to have the responsive apparatus at the subscribers station also act to operate alarm apparatus at a fire-alarm station, the means illustrated are preferably employed.

In Fig. 1 a relay 1) is permanently included in the same local circult with the pilot-lamp, while in Fig. 2 a switch o is employed that may substitute the relay Q) for the pilotlamp. When a fire-alarm is to be propagated from the exchangeto the fire-alarm station, the switch 0 of Fig. 2 may be thrown to include the relay 2; in circuit or the switch 0 (shown in Fig. 1) may be thrown to complete the circuit extending to the fire-alarm station, so that in either case the relay '2) is intermittently energized to cause its armature to be attracted intermittently to efiect a corresponding opening and closing of the circuit extending to the fire-alarm station to repeat the alarm. Other forms of mechanism within the control of the chief operator may be em-' ployed for associating the circuit extending to the fire-alarm station with the signalingcircuits at the exchange without departing from the spirit of my present invention. I have shown alarm devices w at the fire-alarm station and a battery as for energizing the same. A chief operator governs the connection between the exchange and the fire-alarm station instead of a number of individual operators at the dilferent sections of the switchboard.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise embodiment disclosed, as modifications may readily be made without departing from its spirit; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a telephone-line extending from a subscribers telephone-station to an exchange, of means at the subscribers station responsive to fire for propagating signals over the telephone-line, a bat tery at the exchange, a line-indicator for the said telephone-line adapted to be operated by the said responsive means, a pilot-indicator also adapted for operation by the said responsive means, fire-alarm apparatus at a firealarm station included in a suitable circuit, and means interposed between the fire-alarm circuit and the circuit of the pilot-indicator, whereby the signals may be propagated to the fire-alarm station, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a telephone-line extending from a subscribers telephone-station to an exchange, of means at the subscribers station responsive to fire for propagating signals over the telephone-line, a battery at the exchange, a line-indicator for the said telephone-line adapted to be operated by the said responsive means, a pilot-indicator also adapted for operation by the said respon sive means, fire-alarm apparatus at a firealarm station included in a suitable circuit, and means interposed between said alarmcircuit and the circuit of the pilot-indicator, whereby the signals may be propagated to the firealarm station, the said telephone-line being provided with a line-jack and a cut-off relay for disconnecting the line and pilotsignals from the telephone-line, substantially as described.

The combination with a telephone-line extending from a subscribers telephone-station to an exchange, of means at the subscribers station responsive to fire for propagating signals over the telephone-line, a battery at the exchange, a line-indicator forsaid telephone-line adapted to be operated by the said responsive means, a pilotindicator also adapted for operation by the said responsive means, fire-alarm apparatus at a fire-alarm station included in asuitable circuit, a relay at the pilot-indicator adapted also for inclusion in circuit with said battery by the responsive means at the subscribers station, and means associated with the relay for effecting the operation of the alarm apparatus at the fire-alarm station, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a telephone-line extending from a subscribers telephone-station to an exchange, of means at the subscribers station responsive to fire for propagating signals over the telephone-line, a bat-- tery at the exchange, a line-indicator for said telephone-line adapted to be operated by the said responsive means, a pilot-indicator also adapted for operation by the said responsive means, fire-alarm apparatus at a fire-alarm station included in a suitable circuit, a relay at the pilot-indicator adapted also for inclusion in circuit with said battery by the responsive means at the subscribers station, means associated with the relay for eifecting the operation of the alarm apparatus at the fire-alarm station, and a switch at the pilotindicator for controlling the propagation of signals to the said fire-alarm apparatus, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a group of telephone-lines extending from subscribers telephone-stations to an exchange, of means at each of said subscribers stations responsive to tire for propagating signals over the telephone-lines, a line-indicator for each of said lines, a signal common to the said telephonelines and adapted to be operated by any of said means responsive to fire, a fire-alarm apparatus at a fire-alarm station, and means common to the lines and associated with the said signal for eifecting the operation of said firealarm apparatus, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a telephone-line extending from a subscribers telephone-station to an exchange, of alarm-operating means at a subscribers station in addition to the telephonic apparatus thereat for propagating signals over the telephone-line, a battery at the exchange, a line-indicator for the said telephone-line adapted to be operated by the said alarm-operating means, a pilot-indicator also adapted for operation by the said operating means, alarm apparatus at an alarmstation, and means interposed between the said alarm apparatus and the circuit of the pilot-indicator, whereby the signals may be propagated to the said alarm-station, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a group of telephone-lines extending from subscribers telephone-stations to an exchange, of alarm-operating means at each of said subscribers effeeting the operation of said alarm appa- 16 stations in addition to the telephonic apparatus, substantially as described.

ratuslocated thereat,aline-indioator for each In witness whereof I hereunto, subscribe of said lines, a signal common to thesaid my name this 3d day of July, A. D. 1900.

tele hone-lines and ada ted to be 0 erated by a ny of the said alarm operating m e'ans at ANGUS HIBBARD the subscribers stations, alarm apparatus at an alarm-station, and means common to the lines and associated with the said signal for Witnesses:

GEO. S. IREDELL, DAVID E. Gon. 

